Final Gift oneshot
by K9 Block
Summary: As the Tenth Doctor changes *sob* what does John feel?


Rose was asleep when it began.

She woke to hear him whimpering and groaning like a frightened animal in pain.  
"John what is it?"

No reply just more pain filled noises, she switched on her bed side lamp and turned to face him. His eyes were tight shut and his face was contorted by a grimace of pain.

She went to shake him gently but pulled her hand back at the first touch, he was on fire and his hair was dripping with sweat. She ran to the bathroom to get a cold wash cloth and applied it to his forehead. It made no difference it was as if he was cooking alive.

She tried to wake him again. "John, John, you need to wake up" she called.

He only continued to moan, crying out in pain now; he was writhing on the bed seemingly in agony. Suddenly his whole body stiffened and his limbs began to jerk and twist every which way, he was fitting! She moved to his side of the bed and pushed his body to the middle so he wouldn't fall off or hurt himself on their bedroom furniture. She tried to gently hold his head still but she couldn't, he was bleeding from his mouth where he had bitten his lip and was thrashing wildly.

Slowly his movements became less jerky, the fit was ending. She moved back towards him to hold him but he was still burning hot, all she could manage was a light touch. Even that touch seemed to cause him pain as he jerked away from her hand.

"John, John please wake up, do you need me to call a doctor?"

"Doctor!" His eyes sprang open, fear, confusion and pain were transparent in his normally chocolate brown eyes, and his eyes looked red, sore and angry. He curled up on himself, knees drawn tight to his chest and his hands and arms cradling his head.  
"John, what is it? Please tell me"

She was pleading with him now but the only reply he gave was a huge body wracking sob, he was crying for all he was worth. She didn't care how hot he was she had to hold him. She wrapped her body around his back, he was still hot but not the searing heat she had felt before and she held him tight in a bear hug as her wept. She did her best to soothe him but she had no idea what this torment was about.

Suddenly he was still and quiet, too quiet. She rolled him on his back and was horrified to find his lips were tinged with blue. She felt for his pulse and listened for breathing there was neither.

She hauled him on to the floor, tipped his head back and listened again for breath sounds. There were none.

"No no no no no no! You are not doing this to me!"

She began to perform CPR frantically, blowing twice in to his mouth and pumping his chest 30 times, again and again she repeated this but he wasn't responding, she couldn't even break to call for help. She blew in his mouth again and felt something come back and in to her own mouth, she pulled back, was he breathing! Was he?

"JOHN!" she edged back he was glowing orange, an orange light was dancing across his skin, pouring out of his mouth, nose and eyes.

Rose backed away in horror drawing her knees to her chest and hugging herself as his body was lifted from the floor, his head fell back and the whole room seemed to explode with a fiery orange light. Rose had to turn her head and shield her eyes. When she was able to look back she was afraid to, what if he had changed?

He was laying on his side now, his back to her. Whatever it was had left him in the recovery position. She crawled over to him and touched him, he was cool, she rolled him on to his back, the same features were there, he was still him! She panicked, was he breathing? She leant her face to his and looked across his chest. He was! She could feel his breath on her cheek and see his chest rising and falling.

She shook him gently, "John, John, wake up."

His eyes fluttered open, he was confused. Disorientated, "What happened? Why am I on the floor?"

"You don't remember?"

"I remember a bad dream, it hurt, my head hurts now. I need to sleep."

Rose helped him back on to their bed and lay down with him, she told him what had happened and as she told him they both realised what it meant.

They wept in each other's arms, finally Rose managed to speak, "He's gone isn't he?" she asked.

"Not gone, he's changed, he's still in there but he looks different now."

"Do you know what happened?"

"Not yet, all I remember is intense heat and I'm sorry Rose, pain."

She sobbed, "But he's not in pain anymore... is he?"

"I don't know, I need to sleep, to dream, maybe he will tell me?"

She nodded and held him tight as he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

He was standing on a snow capped mountain. The grass beneath his converse clad feet was deep red, the sky was orange. He was home. The Citadel in its dome was beneath him. It's splendour resplendent for all to see. But there was no one to see it, only him.  
He shivered and pulled his long tan coat tighter around him. Right next to him was his TARDIS and another similar but not quite the same was nearby.

In the distance he could see a figure approaching him, he watched as he came closer and closer. He knew who this was, knew what this was, it was time to hand over the baton so to speak. The man in front of him also had a mop of brown hair, longer than his own; he had deep set old looking blue eyes in a young face. His face was longer than his own with a large forehead and chin. They looked at each other and the man spoke, "Is he with her still?"

"He is."

"And he still looks like you?"

"He does, I couldn't spare him the pain, but I was able to save his face."

"Good, she doesn't need to know what we look like now, let her keep him and love him."

"Will she see you?"

"I don't know, that is one adventure I cannot foretell."

"I have to go." He shook his new self's hand and turned and went in to his TARDIS, "I have a new adventure to enjoy. I'll give the others your best."

"Please do, and good luck,"

The new man watched as the TARDIS dematerialised and walked slowly to his own, he looked one last time at Gallifrey in all its glory and went inside and left, knowing he would not return until it was his time to leave.

Back in their bedroom Rose was still holding John. He was asleep still but now a smile played across his lips, she looked at him and was filled with love for him. This was to be her adventure now.


End file.
